Krisztián Vas in Canada wrote this article for Preservation Breeding at KEPCon. Click here to read the full article: Kuvasz in North America. Here is an excerpt.
Types of Kuvasz in Canada
There are three main types of Kuvasz I see in North America.
- A heavy-set dog on relatively short legs, long trunk and body. Big dome-shaped head, weak pigment, very thick and heavy hair. In some ways these dogs look like Great Pyrenees or Polish Tarta Sheepdogs, hence why some people (not me) call these types of dogs “pyrvasz” At first glance someone familiar with Hungarian Kuvasz might not even recognize these dogs as Kuvasz. Their temperaments are also much more mellow than that of the Hungarian dogs. They are more-easy going, have less energy and prefer to quietly sit close to livestock. The issue is these dogs do not engage predators as aggressively as they should. These types of dogs are more characteristic of older Canadian bloodlines.
- A smaller, overly refined, fine boned, elegant, sometimes straight coated, fox-headed, a sort of petite Kuvasz. These types of dogs are more characteristics to the U.S. show circuit where elegance and grace in the show ring seem to be most important. Some of these dogs weight as little as 30kg. Course they are bred to the AKC standard which calls for males to be 100-115lb and females 70-90lb. Because of their finite features, pointy heads and brushed out straight coats, some call these types “Samivasz” (Samoyed sized Kuvasz). These dogs are also seldom utilized as LGDs both because of the lack of physical ability as well as temperament.
- The Hungarian type: Realistically there should not be a Hungarian type Kuvasz, rather just one, but here in Canada, the term “Hungarian type” is often used. To Canadian this means a potentially sharper dog, potentially more aggressive, high energy, more active, harder to handle. These are some of the common misconceptions Canadians have of Hungarian bloodline dogs. Not to mention that looks-wise they also identify a “Hungarian type”, such as the ear set, wedge shaped head, more streamline body, etc. There was a long time Kuvasz owner when she first saw a Hungarian import Kuvasz, asked what breed is that? Such a comment clearly illustrates the vast difference amongst the types.
This argument about breeding different types of Kuvasz has been going on in North America for decades. The breeders who created (1) and (2) are pretty much creating two new breeds but still calling them Kuvasz. Number (3) is actually a Kuvasz. This blog is here to show what the true Kuvasz looks like.